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Box connector

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Overview

The Box connector allows Etlworks to read and write files stored in Box cloud storage.

Etlworks currently supports two ways to connect to Box:

  • Box (Native API connector) – recommended 
  • Box (FTPS) – legacy connector for older Box accounts

All new integrations should use the native Box connector, which connects directly to the Box API and supports secure authentication using OAuth credentials or JWT assertions.

The FTPS connector remains available only for backward compatibility.

When to Use This Connector

Use this connector to create Flows that work with files in Box.

Typical use cases include:

  • Scheduled ingestion of files uploaded by external users 
  • Data exchange with partners 
  • Archiving processed data to Box 
  • File-based ETL pipelines

Creating a Box Connection

Step 1. Create a Box App

Before configuring the connection in Etlworks, you must create a Box application.

1. Open the Box Developer Console

Go to:

https://app.box.com/developers/console

Click Create New App.

2. Choose Application Type

Choose one of the authentication methods:

  • Client Credentials Grant – recommended for automation 
  • Server Auth - JWT – alternative method

3. Configure the Application

After the app is created:

Open the Configuration tab. Copy the following values:

  • Client ID 
  • OAuth 2.0 Credentials

If using JWT authentication, also generate:

  • Public Key ID 
  • Private Key 
  • Private Key passphrase

These values will be used when configuring the Etlworks connection.

4. Authorize the Application

Your Box administrator must approve the application.

Step 1. In the Box Developer Console:

App → Authorization → Review and Submit

Step 2. Goto https://app.box.com/master/platform-apps

Step 3. Authorize or re-authorize your app. 

Note: you must submit&re-authorize your app after making any change. 

Once approved, the application can access Box resources.

Step 2. Create the Connection in Etlworks

Open Connections Click + Search for Box Select Box

You will see the connection configuration screen.

Authentication Methods

The native Box connector supports two authentication methods.

1. Client Credentials

This method uses the Client ID and Client Secret to obtain an access token.

Required parameters:

  • Client ID 
  • Client Secret 
  • Subject Type 
  • Subject ID

Subject Type:

Defines which entity the application impersonates:

  • user – authenticate as a specific user. In most cases set  Subject Type to user.
  • enterprise – authenticate as the enterprise account

Subject ID

The Box user ID or enterprise ID.

In most cases set  Subject ID to your user ID.

2. JWT Assertion

JWT authentication is recommended for server-to-server integrations and automated ETL pipelines.

Additional parameters required:

Public Key ID

The key identifier generated when creating the Box JWT application.

Private Key (PEM)

The private key generated by Box.

Private Key Passphrase

The passphrase used to protect the private key.

Etlworks uses these values to generate a JWT assertion and obtain an access token from the Box API.

Connection Parameters

File Parameters

These parameters control which files are processed by the Flow.

Directory

Optional directory inside Box.

Example:

/incoming/files

Files

File name or wildcard pattern.

Examples:

*.csv
orders_*.json

File Processing Order

Specifies the order in which files are processed when using wildcard patterns.

Available options:

Oldest (default)

Process files starting with the oldest.

Newest

Process files starting with the newest.

Ascending / Descending

Process files alphabetically.

Largest / Smallest

Process files based on size.

Disabled

Wildcard processing is disabled.

Add Suffix When Creating Files

This option adds a suffix to files created by transformations.

Example:

Original file

dest.csv

With UUID suffix

dest_21EC2020-3AEA-4069-A2DD-08002B30309D.csv

This feature works only when files are created using source-to-destination transformations.

Automatic Decryption

When BOX Connection is used as a source (FROM) in the source-to-destination transformation, it is possible to configure the automatic decryption of the encrypted source files using the PGP algorithm and private key uploaded to the secure key storage.

If the private key is available, all source files processed by the transformation will be automatically decrypted using the PGP algorithm and given key.  Note that the private key requires a password. 

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Read how to generate a pair of public/private keys.

Expected Compression

The Expected Compression setting allows you to specify the compression format expected when reading individual files from a connection. Supported options include No Compression, Zip, and GZip.

If set to Zip or GZip, Etlworks will automatically decompress each resource as it’s read. This setting assumes that each compressed file contains a single resource; it does not support archives with multiple files. Use this setting with caution, as the system will always attempt to decompress the resource based on the selected format, regardless of its file extension or actual content.

Legacy Connector: Box FTPS

Older Box accounts supported access through FTPS.

Etlworks still includes the Box FTPS connector for backward compatibility.

However:

  • Box is phasing out FTPS access 
  • The FTPS connector provides limited functionality 
  • The native connector is faster more secure

All new integrations should use the native Box connector.

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